


His Better Half

by inkstrain (orphan_account)



Category: Alice Nine
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-03-05 13:18:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3121643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/inkstrain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he's here—and he's not. Also known as Tora's life with and without Saga.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Better Half

When he arrives home that night, standing by his doorway and fumbling with the keys to be able to get in, he smiles to himself at hearing the noise on the other side – the TV’s turned on pretty loud and it’s a comforting sound. He inserts the key into the lock, turns it, opens and closes the door as he drops house and car keys at a nearby table. “I’m home,” he says, but gets no reply.

 

Chikin appears from the hallway, paws making soundless footfalls on the carpet. He’s still smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes anymore as he picks a meowing cat in his arms. Maybe it's replying _welcome home_ to him in its own language? Or just hungry, more like. The can he left for the poor thing has most probably been empty since early this evening.

 

He ignores the TV which he’s left turned on ever since he went to work this morning, half listening to the news – as though he’s come home to someone, when there’s only his cat home.

   
 

-

 

He’s never one to enjoy dramas, but there’s nothing else to watch. This one’s a comedy, and everything the female lead does is too funny for words. He laughs a little at some of them, and then one scene completely blows him away and he starts guffawing. The entire package comes along – teary eyes, painful stomach, breathlessness. And then the scene ends, and his laughing echoes around the empty living room before subsiding.

 

He turns when he feels a pair of eyes gazing at him with what he can imagine as morbid curiosity, and finds Chikin a few feet away, just looking. The cat’s probably wondering what he’s laughing about, but he doesn’t speak cat so he’s not sure he’ll be able to explain it to his pet properly.

 

Sighing, he shuts the TV off and retreats to the kitchen to the sound of stillness.

   
 

-

 

The smell of coffee is relaxing, wafting around the empty house like incense. Even Chikin reacts to its intoxicating scent, nose up in the air, and comes into the kitchen to investigate where the wonderful smell is coming from as he pauses by the doorway. He smiles at his beloved pet and pours himself a cup filled to the brim, and then frowns slightly when he realizes he’s made too much of the caffeinated drink.

 

“You want some?” he asks aloud, turning to the curious cat still just standing by the entrance to the kitchen, tail swishing back and forth, back and forth. He doesn’t get an answer of course, doesn’t expect one or he’s going to run screaming, before he makes a decision.

 

With a splash, the rest of the coffee good enough for one more cup disappears down the drain in a whirlpool of dark, dark brown.

   
 

-

 

It’s half past four when he finally feels the effects of caffeine wear off. It had been a bad idea to drink coffee before going to sleep. Pushing his bedroom door open, he all but collapses atop his bed in nothing but his sweatpants, swimming in his blankets for a comfortable position as he fights to stay awake, just to be able to properly settle under the covers.

 

When he’s all comfy and ready for his much needed shut eye, he realizes how spacious his bed has become and stares at the ceiling for a long time, unable to sleep as he lies down beside air. Rising up and heading to the living room, he gets six items from the couch and returns to the bedroom, throwing them onto the bed.

 

He falls asleep, drowning in huge throw pillows with no space for emptiness left around him.

   
 

//

 

 

When he arrives home that night, standing by his doorway and fumbling with the keys to be able to get in, he grins to himself at hearing the silence on the other side – not a sound, not even a breath, and it’s an unsettling, excited silence. He inserts the key into the lock, turns it, opens and closes the door as he drops house and car keys at a nearby table. “I’m home,” he says.

 

And gets a reply, just as Chikin appears from the hallway, in someone’s arms. “Tora you idiot, you left the TV on this morning again!”

 

Chikin meows, probably to chastise him too, but he isn’t really sure because the annoyed man who’s welcomed him home has leaned in to peck his lips.

 

He chuckles as he turns the TV on for the news. “I’ve been gone only three days but you’re already racking up the electric bill!” He watches him disappear into the kitchen with a small smile but doesn’t say anything.

   
 

-

 

He’s never one to enjoy dramas, but there’s nothing else to watch. This one’s a comedy, and everything the female lead does is too funny for words. He laughs a little at some of them, and then one scene completely blows him away and he starts guffawing. The entire package comes along – teary eyes, painful stomach, breathlessness. And then the scene ends, and his laughing echoes around the empty living room before subsiding.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

He turns when he feels two pairs of eyes gazing at him with what he can imagine as morbid curiosity, and finds Chikin a few feet from him, still in his arms. Both cat and human are looking at him as if he’s gone crazy, so he stands up and points at the LCD with a stupid grin.

 

“It’s because of this scene…” They go into the kitchen, shared laughter soon ringing around the house like wind chimes dancing with the wind as soon as he finishes relating the story.

   
 

-

 

The smell of coffee is relaxing, wafting around the empty house like incense. Even Chikin reacts to its intoxicating scent, nose up in the air, and comes into the kitchen to investigate where the wonderful smell is coming from as he pauses by the doorway. He smiles at his beloved pet as he pours himself a cup filled to the brim, and then receives a somewhat painful whack at the back of the head just as he’s about to take a sip from his cup.

 

“Tora!” He pouts and rubs the spot where he’s been hit, turning to the culprit who’s glaring at him. “What is this for, bathing? How come you made so much coffee at this hour?!”

 

Grinning slightly, he watches the other get a cup of his own, muttering to himself about having to drink the remaining coffee for it not to go to waste.

   
 

-

 

It’s half past four when he finally feels the effects of caffeine wear off. It had been a bad idea to drink coffee before going to sleep ( _he never learns_ ). Pushing his bedroom door open, he all but collapses atop his bed in nothing but his sweatpants, swimming in his blankets for a comfortable position as he fights to stay awake, just to be able to properly settle under the covers.

 

When he’s all comfy and ready for his much needed shut eye, he realizes how spacious his bed has become and stares at the ceiling for a long time, unable to sleep as he lies down beside air. Rising up and heading to the living room, he returns with a squirming Saga soon after, dumping the other on the bed.

 

“Tora! I’m not sleepy yet!” the brunette complains, glaring up at the older man who’s smiling the same soft warm smile he’s had ever since he came home this evening. Tora ignores his comment though, instead crawls in and wraps an arm securely around the bassist’s waist.

 

“You were gone three days,” the older man whispers, looking at Saga with even softer eyes. “I’ve had to leave the TV on so I can pretend I’m not going home to an empty house. I laughed aloud hoping you’d come into the living room asking why I was but only Chikin did that yesterday. I made too much coffee that I had to throw some away, and had to sleep with tons of pillows around me so the bed won’t be so empty…”

 

Tora is shushed by Saga’s lips sealing his own.

 

“All right, all right.” When the younger man pulls away, Tora sees a smile on the other’s face that wasn’t there earlier. “I missed you too, Tora.”

   
 

Tora falls asleep drowning in the scent of Saga’s hair, with no space for emptiness as he holds the younger man in his arms.


End file.
